Mumbai: In darkness the seed sprouts, new life is formed and transformation happens. Experiences of darkness invite us to alter our vision, clarify our priorities, and be more attentive to the things around us as well as within us.
Darkness also invites us to embrace inner vulnerability and confronts us with our limitations and a sense of powerlessness. Darkness reveals the depth dimension of life and the mystery of wholeness. This mystery of wholeness is what Eco-Spirituality is all about. It is about the connectedness and wholeness of this Universe and demands the ability to seek the light within and without.
Reflecting on my own times of darkness, especially when I was diagnosed for third stage breast cancer, I was struck by the power of transformation in those moments. Cancer has been my greatest spiritual gift. I had the experience of seeing anew, of knowing the essentials, of discovering things in the Paschal Light, of perceiving the imperceptible and of becoming more than I could ever imagine myself to be.
St Francis of Assisi wrote the Canticle of Creatures when he was almost completely blind. Yet through his suffering he celebrated the incredible light of Christ expressed in every creature. Could the present pandemic, Covid-19 be a blessing in disguise? Is it a Goldilocks Moment as Professor David Christian would say? Is it an Aha Moment as the Americans would say? Or is it a transformation? When persons walk together in darkness, they not only experience transformation, but also an unimaginable solidarity with one another and with the One who is the Light.
Eco-Spirituality is living in, Now the Present Moment. It may look very simple. But it takes years of practice and demands Discernment, Discipline and Decision. Once it becomes a habit or second nature, then it is a cake-walk. Life is enjoyable and a Paradise here on Earth-God’s Kingdom here or as the Indians would say Ramrajya. Could interrelatedness be the compelling New Normal to bring about justice in the world? To help us connect with one another in true love?
Teilhard de Chardin bridged the gap between science and religion and made it a vital force of daily living. Through appreciation of science, we are able to see with new eyes, and to understand that at the heart of the universe lies an emergent energy. This is the heart of God, or as he called it, the Divine Milieu. Thomas Berry called us to reinvent what it means to be human. For him this universe is not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects. Thomas Merton opined that God is everywhere, God is in everything and we cannot be without God.
An Integral Ecology challenges us to goodness, compassion and solidarity, which are the greatest virtues in nearly all religious traditions. These virtues challenge us to co-suffer, suffer with and feel another’s suffering so deeply as to be moved to alleviate it. These virtues tie us to humanity, link us with the divine, and make us responsible to and for one another. It implies and expects action. It is not enough to be compassionate. WE MUST ACT. Love and Compassion must move us to cooperate and collaborate with others. It must promote actions aimed at justice.
The story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible is a model of this goodness, compassion and solidarity. The Good Samaritan changed the structural system. It is not just giving someone what he or she needs at that moment. To do what no one else would do, what society even forbids to associate with such a person begins to break down barriers; the social, political walls that block the development of humanity. It is not a simple act. It is a courageous act. Eco-Spirituality is not a simple Spirituality. It is a COURAGEOUS SPIRITUALITY that demands our 100 percent or the unceasing flow of God consciousness 24X7.
The New Normal challenges us to cross the threshold and to step into the field of the future. Here Eco-spirituality challenges us to DEEP LISTENING which creates new connections between the one who speaks and the one who listens. This calls for slowing down our pace of life, listening with all our six senses, listening to the words that often carry images, listening to the emotions i.e. tone of voice, change in the rate of speech; suspending judgment, noticing what I do not understand and noticing what I am feeling, and listening to why, I am here on this Planet?
Eco-spirituality also challenges us to speak our truth, while also preserving conditions for constructive dialogue. We need to remain faithful to our selves, without forfeiting collaboration. Here we need to begin with being present to our self, and truly responding to what was said, responding in ways that do not close the conversation, break the motivation of another person or cause division within the group. It is important to keep conversations open, and contribute to the good of the whole; no judgments or assumptions, only thought, reflection and further exploration.
As we cross the threshold and step into the future, let us ask Creator God to impress upon us and imprint into us, true and genuine love that goes beyond all imagination and heights. Help us to take responsibility in the management of our Planet Earth and imprint into us the core concept of love. Encourage us Creator God to reach out and touch others in love and make this digital world of Science and Technology a better and more beautiful place to live in.
(Sister Mudita Menona Sodder is a member of the Society of the Sacred Hear. She has served as the coordinator of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for her province in India for the past nine years. She now promotes Eco-Spirituality as her full time ministry. She lives in Mumbai on the Sophia College campus).